Limit

by Frank Schatzing

Review: Two seemingly independent and uniquely different storylines come together to create the epic novel, Limit by Frank Schatzing. Stretching across the globe and even onto the moon, Schatzing has written one of the more intriguing plotlines to date. In 2025, the Earth's fuel is at a critical low, but Julian Orley, an iconic business mogul, has found a solution on the moon. Knowing the presence of helium-3 fuel, Orley has pulled all available monetary resources to construct not only an elevator to the moon by which fuel can be returned to Earth, but also an exclusive resort on the moon for the impending space travelers. Orley's monopoly on space travel allows him to invite an elite group of investors to visit the moon and enjoy a respite in his hotel with the hopes of financially securing another elevator. Although the expedition at first goes as planned, Orley finds that his plan may not be the only plan for the moon and that the ulterior plan may put his family and visitors running for their lives. Meanwhile on Earth, Owen Jericho, an investigator of Internet related crimes, is given a seemingly harmless task of locating a missing person. Little does he know, finding her will take him around the world, narrowly escaping death at every turn until two worlds come to a head when the Jericho uncovers the evil plot to destroy Orley and his endeavors.

The premise of Limit is definitely something that will capture and engage readers, encouraging them to tackle the 1200+ page novel. The prospect of visiting the moon has entranced audiences for decades, and having someone find a way to not only visit, but to be able to stay in style at an high-class resort at the same time is riveting. Plus the potential for the moon to solve the impending energy crisis is captivating in and of itself. Clearly Schatzing needed to do extensive research to not only develop this storyline, but to also create the back story that is set in place to help readers understand what brings the ultimate harm to Orley's ventures. It is obvious through his writing Schatzing enjoyed researching, and he was extremely thorough. But it would have benefited readers if he'd summarized this research rather than sharing hundreds of pages of history and science that unfortunately mirror a college textbook. The secondary plot on Earth is by far the most gripping part of the novel. The characters are well developed and readers are brought into the lives of Jericho and his eventual travel companions. Every character is unique, yet Schatzing finds a way to have the individuality actually strengthen not only the bond among them, but also the individuals themselves. In contrast, aside from Orley and his daughter, the characters on the moon are forgettable. This could be why a six-page descriptive character list has been tacked on to the end of the book. In the end, had 1200 pages been scaled down to 300, Schatzing would have produced a surprising mystery that would have engaged readers and pulled them into the mystery and suspense that should have occurred before the last 400 hundred or so pages. He would have allowed readers to fantasize and fear the prospects of space travel, but as it is readers will get bogged down by the research, and lose sight of the plot that should have been mesmerizing.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Margo Nauert for contributing her review of Limit.

Acknowledgment: Jo Fletcher Books provided a copy of Limit for this review.